Wild camping
Wild camping kit list for Scotland
Right-to-roam wild camping is one of Scotland's great gifts — here's the kit to make a night out comfortable.
Scotland's Land Reform Act gives you the right to camp on most unenclosed land — a freedom that most of Europe doesn't have. The right comes with responsibilities under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: leave no trace, camp in small numbers, avoid agricultural ground, and respect the Loch Lomond Camping Management Zone byelaws.
This kit list is for a one or two-night wild camp from spring to autumn. For multi-day backpacking, see the long-distance list. For winter wild camping, add the kit from the winter Munro list.
Essential12 items
Three-season tent
£150-£500Free-standing or semi-freestanding, double-skin, mid-weight. Tarp / bivvy works for some but a tent gives you a midge-free space to sleep and eat.
Scotland note: Make sure the inner pitches first or simultaneously with the fly — getting the inner wet during a downpour pitch is miserable.
Sleeping bag (3-season, ~0°C comfort)
£100-£400Scottish summer nights drop to single digits even in July. A 0°C comfort-rated bag covers May to October.
Scotland note: Down packs smaller and lasts longer but loses loft when wet. Synthetic is the safer choice for Scottish damp.
Sleeping mat (insulated)
£40-£200You lose more heat to the ground than the air. An R-value of 3+ covers three seasons; closed-cell foam is bombproof but bulkier.
Stove + gas
£40-£120 stove; £6 per gasCanister stoves (Pocket Rocket, Jetboil) are simple, fast, and reliable for Scottish summer. Liquid-fuel stoves win in deep winter.
Cook pot + spork
£20-£40Titanium 750ml or 900ml fits a gas canister inside. Spork is the only utensil you need.
Water filter or treatment
£25-£50Scottish burns are mostly clean but sheep, deer and the occasional dead lamb upstream mean treatment is non-optional. Sawyer Squeeze is the standard.
Scotland note: Boiling for 1 minute is the fallback when filters block. Carry a backup of chlorine tablets.
Backpack (50-65L)
£100-£30050L for a single overnight, 65L if carrying winter kit or food for 2-3 days. Hip-belt fit is critical.
Dry bags / pack liner
£15-£40 for a setA pack-liner dry bag for your sleeping bag is the difference between a dry night and a freezing one. Pack covers leak.
Head torch + spare batteries
£25-£50Camp setup, water collection, midnight pee, breakfast cooking — all in the dark for most of the year.
Insulated jacket
£80-£250For around-camp warmth in the evening. Synthetic insulation is more robust to damp than down for Scotland.
Midge net + repellent
£20 for bothFrom May to September a midge head net and Smidge / Avon Skin So Soft are the difference between a workable evening and a miserable one.
Scotland note: See /kit/midge-survival for the full Scottish midge kit.
Trowel
£10-£20Catholes 15-20cm deep, 50m from water sources, well away from paths. The SOAC requires it; the next walker behind you appreciates it.
Recommended2 items
Repair kit
£10Tenacious Tape patches a torn jacket or tent fly. A short length of duct tape wrapped round a pole has saved many a trip.
Bothy bag (group shelter)
£35-£60For 2+ people, a 2-3 person bothy bag is a back-pocket insurance policy for emergency shelter in bad weather.
Optional1 item
Camp pillow
£15-£35A spare fleece stuffed in a dry bag works fine. An inflatable pillow weighs 50g and is the small luxury that matters.
Other kit lists
Day walk
The kit you actually need for a day on the Scottish hills — Munro, Corbett, Graham or coast path.
Bothy night
A bothy night is a wild camp with a roof and a stove — same kit, with a few small additions.
Winter hillwalking
Winter Munro days need real winter kit — ice axe, crampons, B2 boots, and the skill to use them.
Long-distance hike
For week-long walks like the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Cape Wrath Trail.
Family day
For Scottish hill and forest days with kids — small adventures, big snack supplies.
Trail running
Scotland has some of the best running terrain in Europe — and the most demanding weather. Here's the kit.
Midge defence
The Scottish midge — Culicoides impunctatus — turns May to September outings into a tactical problem. This is the kit.